Tumblebrutus's Story
by enkeli-kitsu
Summary: [Cats] How Tumblebrutus left Growltiger's barge and came to the Junkyard...
1. Chapter 1

A few notes which you can read if you want to… 

I'd love to read your reviews and hear any writing tips! Thank you so much if you decide to review this for me!

Thanks to Leithleah for letting me use the name Jessny, which she made up, and thanks heaps for beta-ing this for me! hugs

I didn't write any of the songs at the beginning of the chapters, they belong to whoever wrote them! (There's a list of the songs's authors, in case anyone wants to know, on the last page.)

This fanfic was originally written with minor parts given to some people from the RPG website 'Jellicle Paradise' (link also on the last page). I've rewritten these parts and given them to some real Jellicle characters to minimize confusion! Thanks anyway to Aoide, Aislinbrad, Jeniiva, Mitsuki, Leithleah, Gamivair, Jemeter and Persephone. If anyone wants to read the original copy for any random reason, link is again on the last page. (Go the last page!)

Hope you enjoy it! From Felina -

(Time: This happened a few years before the time of the musical.)

CHAPTER ONE

_I closed my eyes_

_Drew back the curtain_

_To see for certain_

_What I thought I knew_

_Far far away_

_Someone was weeping_

_But the world was sleeping_

_Any dream will do_

"Where is he? Where _is he?_" Tumblebrutus awoke with a shock. He yelped in astonishment as he was grabbed by both shoulders. His teeth clacked as he was shaken hard, his head jarring at the rough, sudden violence. "You know, don't you? Tell me!" Growltiger raged. Tumblebrutus gasped as his captain stopped shaking him and flung him painfully back onto the coiled anchor chain, where he had been sleeping.

"Tell you what?" Tumblebrutus asked, ducking the following slap expertly from years of practice.

"Grumbuskin! He's gone. Stinkin' traitor's turned tail and run!" Growltiger glared, clenching his fists. "You knew 'im well. Where did he say he was goin'?" Tumblebrutus scrambled backwards off the chain.

"He didn't! I swear, I didn't know he'd gone!" Tumble told the angry Cat, his heart still beating wildly and adrenaline pumping through his body at the sudden awakening. It was the truth - Tumble had noticed his friend had been preoccupied and restless recently, but then all the crew were. So Grumbuskin had gone? No wonder Growltiger was in a worse rage than usual. Grumbuskin had been first mate for Growltiger ever since Tumble could remember, and a long time before that too. He was a very good sailor, sometimes Tumblebrutus secretly thought Grumbuskin was a better sailor than Growltiger himself. Of course, he never mentioned this to anyone. A thought like that would get him instantly slain for mutiny and treachery. But right now, it looked like he was going to be slain anyway. Growltiger towered over him, his sword drawn.

"You don't know…" He hissed. "You should have been keeping a better watch, you half-grown son of a sea-rat!" The tip of his sword came closer, quivering at the nape of Tumble's neck. He had nowhere to run to and his own sword was lying discarded by the chain coil. Tumble tried not to let his fear show, for he knew Growltiger hated any 'weak' emotion such as sadness or terror, and he was more likely to kill him if he showed his fear. Tumble had known this would happen sooner or later, known that one day he'd be caught unawares by the fearsome captain of the barge. He held his head high, staring at the older Cat, though his eyes might have betrayed his dread. Growltiger grinned menacingly, then amazingly drew his sword away.

"But then…it wasn't your watch." He said almost to himself. Tumble could hardly believe his luck. He swiftly rolled to his feet and slid noiselessly into the shadows as Growltiger turned away, watching his captain with wary eyes as Growltiger walked towards the bows of the ship, his sword still drawn. The captain often had dangerous mood swings, but this time it had seemed to come in Tumble's favour.

'Who _is_ on watch?' Tumble wondered. 'Not me, and not Bluepoint…' Then he remembered, and suddenly he knew what was going to happen. He leapt out of the shadows with a cry, rushing forward to the bows, knowing that it was too late even as he did so.

Growltiger shoved his sword into Jessny's back, and Jessny crumpled silently forwards, falling limply over the rail and into the cold, murky water with a soft splash.

"Jessny!" Tumble cried in horror, reaching the rail and leaning over, calling his friend's name. There was nothing to be seen in the water. Jessny was gone. Tumble turned slowly to Growltiger, biting his lip hard, knowing he mustn't show weakness in front of the captain.

"You killed her!" He said, his voice sounded shocked and hollow even to him. Growltiger smiled.

"Yes, Tumblebrutus, I killed your little friend. But she should've been keeping a better watch, shouldn't she?" He stared at the young crewmember, acting careless and unperturbed, but his paw was ready on his sword. He knew Tumblebrutus was talented at the sword, although he wasn't properly trained, and he wondered if the kitten would try anything. But Tumble averted his eyes. He had seen Growltiger fight, and knew his own skill wouldn't match up to the captain's lethal blade – yet.

His head low so the captain wouldn't see his sorrow, he crept back down the length of the barge and curled up tightly inside the anchor chain coil, leaving Growltiger cleaning his sword alone in the moonlight.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: 

_Swift the Thames flows to the sea_

_Flow sweet river flow,_

_Bearing ships and part of me,_

_Sweet Thames flows softly._

"Crew! We're putting in at Victoria Dock, London!" Growltiger strode up the barge, shouting out commands as the wide, black sailing-barge moved towards the docks. "Drop the mainsail and come in on the jib. Heave to!" Tumblebrutus and the rest of the few crew left worked hard, lowering the large mainsail and manoeuvring the unwieldy craft into the docks. As they drew slowly alongside the dock, Tumblebrutus jumped ashore with one of his startlingly graceful leaps, landing easily beside the mooring post. He caught the halyard as Bluepoint threw it over and wound it round the mooring post. Swiftly he ran alongside the barge and caught the next halyard as it came flying towards him, securing this one too. With a creak, the barge stopped, its weight straining for a short while on the ropes before settling. His job wasn't over though – the crew had become painfully small in the last year or so, now totalling five, and he had to do the jobs three Cats would usually do, all at once! He leapt back onto the barge and rushed to help Ocicat with the jib, while Bluepoint lowered the cork fenders which would keep the barge from banging against the dock. They were safely moored. Now they could relax a little, although there was still a lot of work to be done. Tumble went to join Bluepoint folding the mainsail and stowing it away. He opened the locker and helped Bluepoint shove the sail in. It wouldn't fit properly.

"It's gone an' got caught on somm't," Bluepoint sighed. "Fix that, 'k Tumble? I've gotta check the fenders again, the dratted ropes keep fraying." Tumble nodded and Bluepoint strode away. Tumble started pulling the mainsail out of the locker again. He lay the heavy canvas on the deck and leaned his head and shoulders into the locker, spotting a large splinter of wood that had come loose and stopped the sail going in the whole way. He pushed it back, hoping to slot it back into place, when a paler, new part of wood caught his eye. It looked like writing. He peered closer, just able to make out the single word, written in a childish scrawl in the semi-darkness.

Jessny.

Tumble withdrew his head, staring at nothing as he remembered his friend. Jessny had loved crawling into the mainsail locker when she had a spare ten minutes. She was the only Cat on the barge his age, and they had become very close. Although she had been gone a few months now, he still missed her painfully, and without her life on the barge was very lonely. Then a rough voice interrupted his memories.

"Get a move on, Tumblebrutus! We 'aint got all day!" Growltiger glared at the young Cat, before moving on to the others. Tumble shook his head clear and went for a hammer and nail, to fix that splinter.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE:

_If you think you can hold me down_

_I beg to differ_

_If you think you can twist my words_

_I'll sing forever_

_My heart was made to be filled up with love_

_Not to be ordered or broken or shoved_

_My hands were made to hold other hands_

_Not to hold swords in faraway lands_

"Bosun! On watch!"

Tumblebrutus looked longingly at the docks as the other four members of the crew raced away to hunt. As bosun, it was his duty to guard the ship. It was so boring, though, and he hadn't been hunting for so long! The others were supposed to bring him back a share of anything they caught, but most of them either forgot or didn't want to bother, so Tumble was almost constantly hungry. Besides, it was the thrill of the chase that he missed. Nothing ever happened on watch. Tumble leaped up onto the top of the cabin and curled up around the hatch trapdoor, gazing up at the crescent moon. He knew he wasn't like the other pirates, but he didn't know why. For one thing, he hated killing, and violence didn't seem to be part of his nature, yet all the other Cats didn't mind, and some actually liked driving innocent victims off the plank. Tumble ruefully remembered the time he had first realised that when they did that, the captured Cat actually died. He had earned himself a few sore bruises that day!

'Why am I different?' Tumble thought to himself. 'It's not like I've ever known anything except life on the barge. I was born to it.' With that thought, Tumblebrutus realised with a shock that he wasn't actually sure about that fact. He had never considered it before, but he suddenly knew that somewhere, he must have parents. But Tumble hadn't ever given them a thought. 'I wonder who my parents are. I'd like to meet them, someday.' He thought. He tried to think back as far as he could ever remember. He didn't usually think back, so he was surprised at the earliest memory he could uncover.

"_Hsss! Kitten!" Tumblebrutus turned, and saw a huge Cat leap from the silent boat and land on the dock. He stared up in awe. He'd never seen a Cat as big as this one, except Old Deuteronomy! _

"_Hey, kit," The Cat said, kneeling down, "My name is Growltiger. I saw you looking at my boat. Would you like to see it?" Tumblebrutus grinned in excitement._

"_Yes, yes please!" He said happily. Growltiger smiled._

"_Good! Come with me," He said, and took the tiny kitten's paw. "After three, jump. One, two, three!" They leapt, and landed on the boat. Tumblebrutus stared around in amazement. The first time he'd ever been on a boat!_

"_Now, I'll tell you a secret," Growltiger said. "I'm a pirate!"_

"_A real pirate!" Tumblebrutus breathed, staring with shining eyes at the big Cat. _

"_Yep. And I can make you a pirate, too. Would you like to be a pirate?" He asked the kitten._

"_Yeah! I want to be a pirate!" Tumblebrutus cried, bouncing with excitement. _

"_Well, you can! Come with me," Growltiger offered, opening a door in the cabin._

That was where the memory stopped. Tumble sat up in surprise. So he _hadn't _been born on the barge, after all! And there was a name he remembered. _Old Deuteronomy. _Who was that? He thought harder than he'd ever thought before, but all he could manage to remember was a faint, fuzzy vision of…what was it? A place full of old, abandoned things, piled high in every-which-way. He remembered a soft, comforting presence, snuggling up to a warm body…and nothing more. 'Maybe that was my mother,' Tumble wondered. He sighed, wishing Grumbuskin was here. He was the only crew member likely to know where Tumble came from, except Growltiger, and Tumble certainly wasn't going to ask him! Thinking of Grumbuskin and his escape, an idea struck him. Why should he stay on the barge? Growltiger was a tyrant and an awful captain. They didn't call him the Terror of the Thames for nothing! He was very mean to all his crew, and to Tumblebrutus it seemed that the captain often singled him out and picked on him.

Why hadn't he thought of this before? He would go!

In one of his amazing leaps, he launched himself from the barge onto the dock. He took a few steps, then looked back. It was going against all he'd ever been taught to leave the ship unguarded……but why did that matter? Tumblebrutus shrugged to himself. Growltiger had killed his best friend, the only Cat he'd ever known to be nice to him. It wasn't Tumble's nature to be vengeful, but the thought did cross his mind that it would serve Growltiger right if his precious barge were taken! Without another thought, Tumble scampered across the dock and into the streets of London.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR:

_When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long_

_And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong_

_Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows_

_Lies the seed that with the sun's love becomes the rose_

A steady stream of cars roared down the main street of London, even at the late hour of the night. Each headlamp briefly illuminated the tiny figure of a half-grown Cat as it crept along the edge of the street.

Tumblebrutus had never known anything like this. He hadn't been off the barge for any length of time ever since he'd been made bosun a few months ago, and before that he had stayed near the docks of each town or city they sailed through, hunting the rats that were so common there. This place, with its loud noises and bright lights was completely strange to him, and it terrified him. However the young Cat tried out of habit not to show his fear. He made himself keep a bold face as he turned a corner. Most of the noisy, shiny things weren't going this way, and Tumble wanted to be as far away from them as he could! After a few steps down this quieter street, he smelled something. Sniffing, he caught the scent of something unmistakeable…beer! He was quite used to the smell, as Growltiger liked the stuff, although the taste made Tumble's mouth turn sour. But something other than the beer smell was what interested him most. A wonderful smell of fish! His recent fear forgotten, he bounded forward, scampering happily up to the small building. The door was closed, but Tumblebrutus could hear a noise of something clattering inside, and he really wanted that fish! He hadn't eaten for two days, and before that only a scrawny mouse Bluepoint had saved him after the hunt. Throwing back his head, he sat on the doorstep and yowled as loudly as he could, with the idea of getting let in, then rushing to the fish before he was caught. That wasn't quite what happened, though. The noise inside stopped, and Tumble heard heavy footsteps clomping across the floor towards him. He had come across humans before, but only from a distance, yet he was too hungry to be nervous at the moment. He redoubled his wails and the door swung open and a human exclaimed.

Jack, the bar owner had been cleaning up for the night, since it was past midnight, when he heard a faint wailing at the door. Laying down his broom, he opened the door, to see a kitten sitting on his step yowling at the top of its voice.

"Well, look at that!" He exclaimed in surprise. At the sound of his voice the kitten stopped crying and looked up at him with large, golden eyes. The bar owner stared down, and before he could do anything, the kitten had scampered past him and was inside, and heading straight for the kitchen!

"Oh, look at him! He's only fur 'n' bone!" Jack muttered to himself. He liked Cats, luckily for the kitten, he thought! He closed the door again and stomped through to the kitchen in time to see the kitten perform an amazing leap right onto the countertop, where last night's fish was waiting to be thrown out.

"HEY!" He shouted, causing the kitten to jump and look round with an almost guilty expression. He grinned. "If you're going to stay here, little stray, you need to know a rule. No animals on the countertop!" He picked the kitten up, exclaiming at the number of ribs he could feel though the light-coloured fur, and placed him on the floor, taking a bit of fish and putting it there too. He watched as the kitten ate.

"There should be a Cat in every bar," He decided. "And this one's got street cred, for sure!" He smiled at the hungry kitten. "Welcome to The Lion, little stray!"


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE: 

_Sometimes I wish that I could close my eyes_

_To some things I don't want to see_

_Still I believe if you lived your life again_

_You'd still be here with me_

_Tumbebrutus knelt at the rail of the barge, staring down into the inky-black water. Tears stung his eyes and threatened to fall, so he shut them tight until the water dried. He turned his head and looked around the deck. As he expected, he was the only one there. Now, in the dead of night at his turn on watch, was the only time he'd get a chance to honour Jessny's life. He didn't know why he did this – it was some instinct, perhaps something taught to him when he was a tiny kitten. He'd never seen any of the other Cats on the barge honour a dead Cat's life. He gazed back into the water._

"Jessny. May your spirit be filled with the wonders of the Heavyside Layer," he whispered. He said this because the words seemed right, he didn't know he was reciting the old Jellicle death-verse. Then he began to quietly sing his friend's favourite song.

"River, river, carry me

Carry and sink me

Toss me and turn me

Down to the sea."

_He bowed his head, and this time wasn't ashamed of the silent tears that fell freely from his eyes. Then a rough, heavy paw clapped onto his shoulder and spun him around. Tumble gazed up in terror at Growltiger! He wriggled, trying to get away, but the huge Cat just gave an evil smile. Then Tumble yelped as Growltiger faded slowly, and in his place there grew an even taller, shadowy figure with glaring red eyes. Tumble shrank back still further from the figure of Bluepoint's favourite night-time ghost story, Firefrorefiddle. But the thing before him hadn't stopped changing. Now it shrank again, into a familiar shape. A tiny white and silver-gold Singapura kitten stood before him, it's delicate paw still on Tumble's shoulder._

"_Jessny!" He cried, moving forward to hug her. But Jessny scowled and swiped at him with her other paw, and Tumble realised in horror that her eyes were glowing red as the Fiend of the Fell's. _

"_Tumblebrutus! I thought you were my friend. But you didn't stop Growltiger from killing me!" She hissed, stepping forward, driving him backwards toward the rail._

"_No, Jessny, please listen, I tried to stop him, I was too late…" He choked, tears of despair melting into his fur. "I'm sorry Jessny, I'm sorry," He gasped, but Jessny drew out her sword and plunged it into his chest. With a cry, he fell backwards over the rail…he was falling…falling…_

"Jessny!" Tumble awoke with a start, his heart pounding, the remains of a scream dying in his throat. He looked around him in panic for a few seconds, then began to calm down slowly as he realised he was safe in the back room of the pub he had come to call home. He wiped tears away from beneath his eyes, shuddering at the terrible nightmare. He had had it a few times since Jessny's death, but this was the first time in weeks. Although he knew it wasn't true, knew that Jessny would have forgiven him for not being quick enough, it still wrung his heart to see her, even in a dream, so angry with him. To take his mind off the nightmare, he ran to the door and pushed out the catflap that the human, Jack, had put in a few days ago. Looking up, he saw it was nearly dusk. He realised that tonight was a full moon – the first he'd seen since he had left the barge. He bounced across the back yard and climbed up onto the wall to await the moonrise.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX:

_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue full moon?_

_Or asked a grinning fox cub why he grins?_

_Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?_

_Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?_

Tumblebrutus never could sit still for very long, but tonight he was more restless than usual. He stood up and paced along the top of the wall. It was still quite light and the colours of sunset were bright in the sky. Without really knowing why, Tumble leapt down from the wall and started running swiftly east, hurrying down the street towards the poorer end of town. Even as he ran, he wondered where he was going, and why. He had a strong feeling that he should be going this way, and that there was a place he needed to go to. Tumble was completely puzzled – he'd never experienced anything like this before. But, he reasoned with himself, he had nothing else to do tonight. Might as well see where this 'feeling' was going to lead him.

After a short while, he got to the outskirts of the city. He hadn't been here before, and it was darker and quieter than other parts of the city, but for some reason Tumble wasn't uneasy. Without faltering he headed straight for a large area, fenced off with mostly broken wooden boards. Inside, he could see old, broken human stuff piled high. He leapt over the fence and scrambled over a wall of junk towards the centre of the dump, and stopped. He was in a large clearing, surrounded on all sides by piles of human junk. The feeling had stopped. This was where he had been going? Tumble gazed around. The sky was much darker, although the moon, full this night, hadn't risen yet. The Junkyard was silent. Tumble grinned to himself. This place looked great to play in! He bounced happily around the corners of the clearing, sniffing as the scent of Cats filled his nose. Other Cats had been here, and quite recently! Tumble slowed down a bit, hoping the Cats would be friendly. He hadn't met many nice Cats in his short life, and it had made him nervous and wary of strangers. Still, there didn't seem to be anyone here now. If he heard anyone coming, he could go and hide somewhere until he was sure it was safe. He spun around happily, then backflipped across the Junkyard, performing the acrobatics Bluepoint had taught him. He finished the last flip with a bounce and then looked up in surprise at a noise from a chair perched high on top of a pile of rubbish. A kitten, about his age, sat there staring at him. Before Tumble could back away the kitten flung himself off the chair and fell at least three times his height, somehow managing to land gracefully on the ground, and scampered up to Tumble.

"Hi! Your flips are really good!" The other kitten grinned. "I'm Pouncival. I saw you looking around. Who are you?" Tumble managed not to step back.

"Er…I'm Tumblebrutus," He replied, slowly grinning back as his confidence grew. "I've never been here before. What is this place?" Pouncival laughed.

"This is the Junkyard! It's where we hang out, the Jellicle Tribe, I mean." Tumble nodded, not understanding at all.

"Right. Um. What's the Jellicle Tribe?" He asked. Pouncival stared at him, a playful smile growing on his face.

"What's a Jellicle Cat, you mean?" He asked. Tumble nodded.

"YES! I've been waiting to do this for so long!" The other kitten cried, bouncing around him in a circle. Tumble couldn't help laughing.

"Do what? What _is_ a Jellicle Cat?" He asked. Pouncival shrugged.

"It's who we are. Look, now that you've asked, I just have to say this," He grinned, then struck a pose and began reciting.

"_The naming of Cats is a difficult matter_

_It isn't just one of your holiday games…"_

At the end of Pouncival's flawless recitation, Tumble smiled happily.

"Yeah, I guess that's true!" He agreed. "But it doesn't really answer the question!" Pouncival grinned.

"I know! I think was made up 'specially to annoy people! But listen, I'll tell you about the Tribe. I 'spect the others will be here soon, then I'll introduce you." He led the way over to a huge tyre, which, he explained, was where they did all the storytelling. The two kittens sat down and Tumble listened carefully as his new friend described to him all about the Jellicle Tribe.

_For the wonder of each hour_

_Of the day and of the night_

_Hill and vale and tree and flower_

_Sun and moon and stars of light_

"Oh!" Tumble agreed, his eyes bright as he grinned at his new friend. "Being a Jellicle Cat sounds wonderful. Can I join your tribe?" He asked hopefully. Pouncival leapt to his feet.

"Sure!" He exclaimed happily. "We always welcome new Cats. 'sides, you seem like practically a Jellicle already. Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap will be happy to let you be in our tribe!" Tumblebrutus started a little at the mention of the name he had remembered the night he left the barge. He was about to ask who Old Deuteronomy was when Pouncival leapt from the tyre with a cry of greeting.

"Hi Demeter, hi Bombalurina!" Pouncival called. Tumble slid down the side of the tyre and followed Pouncival to meet these two young queens. They smiled at him and seemed friendly enough as they exchanged names. Tumble relaxed. It looked like these Cats were going to be nice. Then more Cats began appearing from all corners of the Junkyard. Pouncival got even more wound up, if that was possible, and shrieked greetings to everyone he saw, managing to completely confuse Tumble with all the names he called. A group of four female kittens arrived by way of a broken drainpipe, and stared at him curiously, then bounded over to him and Pouncival.

"Hi! I'm Etcetera. Who're you?" One excited kitten asked him.

"This is Tumblebrutus. He wants to join our tribe!" Pouncival explained. "Tumble, this is Etcetera, Electra, Jemima and Victoria. Th' terrors of the Junkyard they are!" He teased and leapt away as three of the kittens shrieked and pounced at him. The smallest one stayed, looking up at Tumble through dark lashes. He gazed back. The thought crossed his mind that he'd never seen a queen pretty as this one.

"Hi," He offered a little shyly. "Sorry, I didn't catch which name you were…" The kitten laughed.

"That's alright," She said. Her voice was musical and sweet. "Pouncival is _always _excited! I'm Jemima, and you're Tumblebrutus, right?"

"Yeah." Tumble grinned back. "Pouncival told me all about Jellicle Cats. So tonight is a Jellicle Ball?" He asked. Jemima nodded.

"Yes! The moon's risen, so I guess we'll be starting soon." She explained, and looked around. "Look, that's Munkustrap there, the silver tabby. Next to him is Demeter, his mate. Since Pouncival's got himself chased by Etcy and the others," She grinned, "I'll introduce you! I'm sure they'll be pleased to meet you." Jemima began to lead the way across the Junkyard.

Tumble swallowed back his nervousness as they got closer. He was wary of adult Cats, particularly captains, since the only captain he'd known had been wicked and cruel. The silver tabby seemed to be the Jellicle's captain - Jemima had called him Munkustrap, Tumble remembered. He didn't look nasty, but Tumble wasn't risking anything. He made sure to keep behind Jemima.

"Munkustrap?" Called Felina as they came close. Munkustrap turned, smiling down at the young queen.

"Hello, Jemima. Who's this?" He asked, noticing the thin, light-coloured kitten behind them. Tumble hurriedly lowered his gaze and bowed his head, showing the respect Growltiger expected from his crew.

"This is Tumblebrutus," Jemima explained when her new friend remained silent. She wondered why he'd suddenly gone so shy. "He'd like to join our tribe."

Munkustrap looked interested. "Well, Tumblebrutus, I'd like to hear your story. Would you like - " He stopped talking suddenly as a female voice cut across his.

"Tumblebrutus?"

He looked up in surprise, seeing a ginger tabby queen approach him.

"Yes?" He asked, confused.

"It's a name that's particular!" The queen whispered to a puzzled Munkustrap, her eyes wide. Then she stepped forward and took his paw in hers. "I'm Jennyanydots," She said to him. "You can call me Jenny. May I…" She held his forearm and brushed back the fluff there, revealing a bright ginger streak beneath the white and brown fur. Tumble stared at it in interest. He didn't even know he had a ginger streak there! He had thought the only colours on him were creamy white and brown. But he had no further time to think about it, for the tabby holding his paw suddenly dropped it and hugged him tight.

"Tumblebrutus! It _is _you!" She cried, releasing him. "I'm your mother. I knew you'd find your way home!" He stared at the tabby, shocked. He'd never expected to find family, especially not the parents he had so recently wondered about. Beside him, Munkustrap clicked his claws.

"That's right! I _knew _the name sounded familiar!" He exclaimed. "But Tumblebrutus…you went missing ages ago! We all thought you'd been taken by Macavity. Everyone thought you were dead…everyone except your mother, Jenny." He smiled fondly at the happy queen. "She always insisted you'd find your way back. They say every Jellicle can find his way to the Junkyard." Tumble smiled shyly back.

"I couldn't remember much, before I got back here," He told them. "Now, I can remember a bit more." Jemima grabbed his paw in excitement.

"A story! Oh, great!" She smiled excitedly. Then a thought struck her. "So, if you're Jenny's kitten, that means Pouncival must be your brother!" She realised.

"You have a lot of family here in the Junkyard," Jenny, his mother, told him. "Come on! This is a time for storytelling on the tyre!" She took the paw Jemima wasn't holding and led him back to the tyre where Pouncival had earlier explained to him what a Jellicle Cat was. Munkustrap stood on the tyre and called to the others. In a surprisingly quick time, the whole tribe was assembled either on or around the tyre.

"Tonight we welcome Tumblebrutus back into the tribe!" Munkustrap announced dramatically, waving a paw at the young Cat. "Many of you older Cats will remember when Tumblebrutus went missing as a tiny kitten. We feared for his life, and as time passed with all our searches failing it seemed that Tumblebrutus was gone." Tumble was listening as intently as the rest of the Cats. He didn't know his early history any more than they did. Then Munkustrap indicated him to speak. "Please, tell us your story, Tumblebrutus." He said, smiling at the kitten. Tumble swallowed a little nervously as every Cat in the large tribe turned to look at him.

"Well," He began. "The earliest thing I can remember is meeting Growltiger. He was also called 'The Terror of the Thames'." He saw the surprise on the Jellicle's faces. They had all thought he had been taken by Macavity, the evil cat who terrorised their Junkyard. "I must have wandered away from the Junkyard," Tumble explained. "Growltiger lured me onto his barge, saying I could be a real pirate if I went with him. I didn't understand, then, that it wasn't like playing. I didn't know that he would take me away from my family." Tumble told all he could remember to his audience. It was easy to tell a story, he thought, when the Cats you were telling it to listened as if you were the most important – and exciting – thing around! The kittens squealed with excitement at the sword fights, and the older Cats listened with interest at his description of cities far away along the Thames, and they were all sad with him as he told of Jessny's death. Finally his story came to an end.

"So I ran away from Growltiger. I ended up at a pub not too far from here, called The Lion. This evening I had a strange feeling, like I should be going somewhere. I didn't have anything else to do, so I followed it, and got here." He finished. Munkustrap put his paw on Tumble's shoulder.

"And you will always be welcome here, with your family." He told the kitten. Pouncival scrambled up onto the tyre.

"I've always wanted a brother!" He grinned as Etcetera climbed up.

"I'm your cousin!" She explained in excitement, hugging him. Then many other Cats climbed up onto the tyre to greet Tumble. He tried hard to remember names, but there were so many! After a little while Munkustrap stood up again.

"Well, Jellicles, I think the Ball has been delayed long enough, don't you!" With cries of excitement, the Cats began their dance.

_And in the east_

_The dawn was breaking_

_And the world was waking_

_Any dream will do_

The moon sank behind the lowest junk pile just as the last dance ended. Tired Cats slipped away into the shadows, heading for either their homes where they lived with humans, or for quiet dens made in the Junkyard for the daytime hours. Tumble turned to go towards his home, but a call stopped him. He turned and saw Jemima running up to him.

"You live in The Lion, don't you?" She asked him.

"Yes, that's right." He replied. She smiled at him.

"I live on the same street! Just down the road a little. My human often goes to The Lion." She explained. "Come on, let's go together." She took his paw in hers, looking up at him. He smiled back happily, and the two Cats headed home as the dawn was breaking behind them.

FIN!


End file.
